tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-120772232015-03-31T02:00:09.529-07:00Gena's GenealogyWhere every day is dedicated to women's history/genealogyGena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.comBlogger709125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-46544224819133423782015-03-31T02:00:00.000-07:002015-03-31T02:00:09.536-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Reconstructing Women's LivesIt's March 31st and we are at the end of <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/Women%27s%20History%20Month%202015" target="_blank">Women's History Month 2015</a>. Over 31 days of different resources for researching female ancestors. But that's just a small amount compared to all the different sources, repositories, and methodology you could incorporate into your family history.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glcO-t8fAIk/VRYGlo1hqWI/AAAAAAAADrs/R26LrksFSDk/s1600/Pinterest%2Bboards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glcO-t8fAIk/VRYGlo1hqWI/AAAAAAAADrs/R26LrksFSDk/s1600/Pinterest%2Bboards.jpg" height="247" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />So want some more resources for researching your female ancestors? Here's some Pinterest <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/" target="_blank">boards</a> to get you started. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/womens-history-month-2015/" target="_blank">Women's History Month 2015</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/telling-herstory-womens-history-month-2014/" target="_blank">Telling HerStory: Women's History Month 2014</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/women-in-world-war-i/" target="_blank">Women in World War I</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/women-in-wwii/" target="_blank">Women in World War II</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/researching-female-ancestors/" target="_blank">Researching Female Ancestors</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/womens-suffrage/" target="_blank">Women's Suffrage</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/researching-women-in-newspapers/" target="_blank">Researching Women in Newspapers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/womens-work/" target="_blank">Women's Work</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/womens-history/" target="_blank">Women's History</a></div><br /><br />Look for the links, to the right side of this blog, for posts from past Women's History Months.<br /><br />Good luck with your research and enjoy your discoveries!<br /><br />GenaGena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-70362702310526036112015-03-30T02:00:00.000-07:002015-03-30T02:00:06.663-07:00Women's History Month 2015: The Deviled Egg ScenerioLooks (and documents) can be deceiving. Take for instance this photo.<br /><br />Now if I were to ask you what is this photo of, you would say "it's a deviled egg on a plate." You would base that observation on the fact that it has the characteristics of a deviled egg (sliced egg with yolk filling and paprika sprinkled on the top) and it's resting on a deviled egg plate. You might even say although the plate it's resting on is an antique, &nbsp;this is &nbsp;a more recent photo since it's in color, it was taken with a digital camera, and I added the date 2015 in the caption.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyJ3Q-BglqY/VRYNNpJ_PLI/AAAAAAAADr8/AZ9pJbrX7B8/s1600/egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hyJ3Q-BglqY/VRYNNpJ_PLI/AAAAAAAADr8/AZ9pJbrX7B8/s1600/egg.jpg" height="356" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by David Ortega Photography. 2015. Used with permission.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />But look closely. Yes, it's a deviled egg but not a <b>real</b> deviled egg.<br /><br />It's a candy.<br /><br />Researching reminds me of this deviled egg. We gather documents and we think we understand them but it's through thorough, careful analysis that we can gain a better understanding of the research we have gathered.<br /><br />Consider this. A cousin of mine pre-planned her funeral. She went to the funeral home, purchased a cremation package and everything that goes with that. They allowed her to fill out some of the information on her future death certificate. This seems like a great idea, right? Afterall, except for the information about her death, she at that point in her life should be a pretty good informant for information about her life.<br /><br />Wrong.<br /><br />She happened to incorrectly (on purpose) state where she was born. This had to do with her positive feeling for the city she named. But she wasn't born there. Not even close. Like 3000 miles away.<br /><br />Now, fast forward a hundred years. If she had been named on the final death certificate as the informant, a researcher may take for granted that the information was correct and not double check that.<br /><br />Always double check. Don't take documents at face value. Conduct careful analysis.<br /><br />Need help honing your analysis skills? Here's some links to start you off.<br /><br />Evidence Explained Quick Lesson 17: <a href="https://www.evidenceexplained.com/content/quicklesson-17-evidence-analysis-process-map" target="_blank">The Evidence Analysis Process Map</a>.<br />Think Genealogy - <a href="http://www.thinkgenealogy.com/map/" target="_blank">Genealogy Research Process Map</a><br />Cyndi's List - <a href="http://www.cyndislist.com/evidence/articles/" target="_blank">Evidence Analysis &amp; Evaluation</a><br /><br />The National Institute for Genealogical Studies has a series of three courses on <a href="http://www.genealogicalstudies.com/eng/courses.asp?courseID=239" target="_blank">Analysis</a>.<br /><br />What's the take away from the deviled egg? Make sure that you are researching your Mary Smith, Emma Jones, or Jemima Johnson not someone else's.Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-74808740364243304702015-03-29T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-29T03:00:03.159-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Institutions and Your Ancestor<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjLqmM2ellQ/VRYWJARVRYI/AAAAAAAADsY/C_M2CUl5HMo/s1600/Postcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MjLqmM2ellQ/VRYWJARVRYI/AAAAAAAADsY/C_M2CUl5HMo/s1600/Postcard.jpg" height="242" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table>Let's face it, institutions were a part of our ancestor's lives. Whether its schools, hospitals, poor farms or asylums, you need to consider these types of records.<br /><br />Institutions have sometimes been a harsh reality for women. Women who didn't fit in or suffered depression might find themselves locked away in an asylum. Girls may have attended school but not for long. So many researchers have a story to tell about that unfortunate female ancestor that ended up in the poor house.<br /><br />Two tips for researching women and institutions:<br /><br /><br /><ul><li><b>One,&nbsp;</b>learn as much as you can about that institution, this will assist you in finding and understanding records. Try histories or even research done by academics. To do this use <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/" target="_blank">WorldCat</a>, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/" target="_blank">JSTOR </a>and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Scholar</a>.</li></ul><br /><br /><br /><ul><li><b>Two</b>, search archival collections, and area repositories for possible records. Now in some cases you may not gain access to records, like in the case of asylums (hint: try the courthouse, don't just focus on the asylum itself). But you have to at least look. To do this start with <a href="https://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/" target="_blank">ArchiveGrid</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://webpages.uidaho.edu/special-collections/other.repositories.html" target="_blank">Repositories of Primary Sources</a>.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-19533752726439053762015-03-28T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-28T03:00:05.391-07:00Women's History Month 2015: CookbooksYou didn't think I could get through a Women's History Month without talking about cookbooks, right?<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dpOpgikDkDU/VRYS9cmR-hI/AAAAAAAADsM/7XHhalm87AA/s1600/Iowa%2BCookbook0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dpOpgikDkDU/VRYS9cmR-hI/AAAAAAAADsM/7XHhalm87AA/s1600/Iowa%2BCookbook0001.jpg" height="400" width="282" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table>Community cookbooks seem to me like an obvious source for researching female ancestors. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Community cookbooks also known as charity, church or fundraising cookbooks were published by churches, schools, social movements and non-profit organizations. Community cookbooks have been around since the time of the American Civil War. These cookbooks were generally used as a way for women to raise funds for their causes. These cookbooks still exist and continue to fund the concerns and activities of women.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">But, they do have their drawbacks such as difficulty in finding them and not all are archived.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Sure those are some drawbacks but that doesn't mean it's impossible.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">What do these directories of women tell us?&nbsp;</span>Like many genealogical sources, community cookbooks are at the very least a “names list.” They provide a name and a place. Community cookbooks vary on what information can be found in the cookbook. The standard is to have pages of recipes with the name of the woman who submitted that recipe. That name may include a notation of Mrs. and a husband’s name or initials, leaving only unmarried women identified by their full given names.<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">While that type of listing does happen, there are many cookbooks that include additional information ranging from just the name of the recipe contributor to family history information explaining the significance of the recipe to the family. Depending on the group who organized the cookbook you can find occupations, personal histories and even clues to ethnic backgrounds. I’ve seen church community cookbooks that include a detailed history of the church, names and dates of service of ministers and a list of the burials in the church cemetery. In some cases women from outside the community may have been invited to submit recipes.&nbsp; This can provide you with additional family names. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Your ancestor’s community may be reconstructed from information found in the cookbook. Advertisements may have been sold to help offset the cost of printing. A benefit to both the advertiser and the women publishing the cookbook, advertisements can help you learn more about what existed in your ancestor’s community including ads for funeral homes and physicians.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So where can you find them? Start with digitized book websites like <a href="https://books.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Books</a>, <a href="https://archive.org/index.php" target="_blank">Internet Archive</a> and <a href="http://www.hathitrust.org/" target="_blank">Hathi Trust</a>. Search library <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/" target="_blank">catalogs</a> and even <a href="http://www.ebay.com/" target="_blank">eBay</a>.&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh and check out my blog, <a href="http://foodfamilyephemera.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Food.Family.Ephemera</a> for more about community cookbooks.</div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-23904367874224392542015-03-27T08:05:00.000-07:002015-03-27T08:05:21.334-07:00Women's History Month 2015: ManuscriptsOk, there's a lot of things I love about research. But one of my favorite sources is manuscript collections.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_LgawhrWDU/VRVvlXLgPOI/AAAAAAAADrU/afNH0CMxkFo/s1600/Manuscript.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O_LgawhrWDU/VRVvlXLgPOI/AAAAAAAADrU/afNH0CMxkFo/s1600/Manuscript.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brooklin, Maine OES. In possession of Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table><br />I've <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/2013/03/womens-history-month-2013-womens.html" target="_blank">written</a> about these collections before and I want to encourage everyone to make it a goal to visit an archive and look at a manuscript collection for the place your ancestor lived. These collections hold such great information that gets overlooked in our focus on researching via the Internet.<br /><br />Now I love research on the Internet but there's nothing like going to an archive, smelling that old paper smell, and reading the writing of someone from a much earlier time.<br /><br />My favorite place to find manuscript collections? <a href="https://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/" target="_blank">ArchiveGrid</a>. Search on your ancestor's city or county first then try their religion, occupation, or membership group.<br /><br />Honestly, research in manuscript collections and you will be hooked.Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-5106321989235106262015-03-26T09:48:00.002-07:002015-03-26T09:48:55.237-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Social History WebsitesHere's some of my favorite websites for learning more about the lives of your female ancestors:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l4H6NAgoR3Y/VRQ4Vh5GsMI/AAAAAAAADq8/Q1kRzJOnvkU/s1600/Do%2BHistory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l4H6NAgoR3Y/VRQ4Vh5GsMI/AAAAAAAADq8/Q1kRzJOnvkU/s1600/Do%2BHistory.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://dohistory.org/" target="_blank">DoHistory</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.victoriana.com/" target="_blank">Victoriana</a>: the 19<sup>th</sup> Century Online&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.genwriters.com/" target="_blank">GenWriters</a>&nbsp;</span></div><br /><a href="http://digital.lib.msu.edu/projects/cookbooks/index.html" target="_blank">Feeding America: The Historic American Cookbook Project&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.fashion-era.com/" target="_blank">Fashion Era</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">Vintage Patterns Wiki</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.ephemerasociety.org/" target="_blank">Ephemera Society of America</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/home.php" target="_blank">Old Magazine Articles</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www3.gendisasters.com/" target="_blank">GenDisasters</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://recipecurio.com/" target="_blank">Recipe Curio</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://cds.library.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/tocCS.html" target="_blank">What Did You Do In The War Grandma?</a> (WWII)&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.womenfolk.com/historyofquilts/" target="_blank">America’s Quilting History</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://faculty.uml.edu/sgallagher/Mill_girls.htm" target="_blank">Lowell Mill Girls</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.pasthairstyles.com/" target="_blank">Hairstyle History</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.tenement.org/" target="_blank">Tenement Museum&nbsp;</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://clickamericana.com/" target="_blank">Click Americana&nbsp;</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www3.nd.edu/~rbarger/www7" target="_blank">History of American Education</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://xroads.virginia.edu/~1930s/front.html" target="_blank">America in the 1930s</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.randomhistory.com/2009/02/24_wigs.html" target="_blank">A History of Wigs&nbsp;</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.groceteria.com/" target="_blank">Groceteria. A Supermarket History</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.poorhousestory.com/" target="_blank">The Poorhouse Story</a>&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-69960466576944672562015-03-25T07:58:00.000-07:002015-03-25T07:58:34.864-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Images of her Life<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrbsJnQ76jQ/VRLL0hEQ_oI/AAAAAAAADqo/d7flfhMA2WU/s1600/Joan%2Bof%2Barc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NrbsJnQ76jQ/VRLL0hEQ_oI/AAAAAAAADqo/d7flfhMA2WU/s1600/Joan%2Bof%2Barc.jpg" height="400" width="268" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Library Company of Philadelphia https://flic.kr/p/niQoRG</td></tr></tbody></table>I love adding images to narratives about female ancestors. Photos help tell a story and they make it more interesting for those who aren't big fans of genealogy (I know it's hard to believe such people exist). But we aren't always so lucky to have inherited photographs to tell that story. So what then?<br /><br />Think about using images of the place she lived, maps, activities she enjoyed, photos of events. Get creative with how you tell the story of her life. My resource for today is one of my favorite websites, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/commons" target="_blank">Flickr the Commons</a>.<br /><br />Now, I didn't say <a href="https://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>. Flickr the Commons is a part of Flickr but its goal is to share public domain photos from &nbsp;the world's institutions.<br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The tagline for <b><a href="https://www.flickr.com/commons" target="_blank">Flickr:The Commons</a></b> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp; is “Help us catalog the world’s public photo archives.” While this does describe the social media aspect of The Commons, it is far more than that. The Commons currently has digitized photos from archives around the world including The Royal Library, Denmark;&nbsp; National Library of Ireland;&nbsp; the National Archives UK, State Library of Queensland, Australia; National Archives of Norway; as well as United States repositories such as The Library of Congress; Center for Jewish History, NYC; New York Public Library; Library of Virginia and the George Eastman House.</span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Photos uploaded to The Commons have no known copyright restrictions. Library of Virginia explains the term “no known copyright restrictions” on their website as:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">…the Library is unaware of any current copyright restrictions on the works so designated, either because the term of copyright may have expired without being renewed or because no evidence has been found that copyright restrictions apply. The user of the images must understand that the Library of Virginia cannot guarantee that private or commercial use of the images shared on The Commons will not violate the rights of unidentified copyright holders, and the Library cannot be responsible for any liability resulting from the use of these images. (</span></i><a href="http://www.lva.virginia.gov/about/copyright.htm"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://www.lva.virginia.gov/about/copyright.htm</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Commons provides a way for you to search &nbsp;photographs that can help to tell the story of an ancestor's military experience, what the place they came from looked like, or even how people dressed during that time. Search by keyword or by institution. There's so much to be found.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To get started, consider searching on an event that took place during your ancestor's lifetime like World War I for example.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Take a look and the find images to tell her story.</span></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-40394079711177289612015-03-24T09:51:00.001-07:002015-03-24T09:51:12.178-07:00Women's History Month 2015: What's For Dinner Genealogy StyleIt's the three words I hear everyday, day in and day out. Doesn't matter if I'm not at home or if I'm sick. If I'm lucky, I hear it after lunch but I have heard it before breakfast.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRSQ9597kT0/VRGOgPzyWGI/AAAAAAAADqU/wEsIbneuDlE/s1600/noodles.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRSQ9597kT0/VRGOgPzyWGI/AAAAAAAADqU/wEsIbneuDlE/s1600/noodles.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, I didn't make this. Sometimes the answer to what's for dinner is to go out.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><b>What's for dinner?</b><br /><br />Moms (and dads) know this phrase well. If I'm particularly tired of it, I like to say something like "I don't know, what are you making me?"<br /><br />Dinner can be a lot like genealogy. Most likely you have a few standard dishes you eat often, maybe weekly. They are the old standbys that are easy to fix and may not cost a lot. At our house that includes spaghetti, enchilada casserole, tacos, pizza, and chef salad.<br /><br />The genealogy resources you use are most likely a lot like those old favorite dinners. You reach for those same websites or documents with each ancestor you research. (Though I'm guessing that you may not have explored everything on your favorite website.) You know how to find those documents. You're familiar with those resources.<br /><br />But, there are time that I can't look at another plate of spaghetti. I want something different. I'm bored with making the same thing week after week.<br /><br />In genealogy, that boredom equates with not finding the information you need, the proverbial brick wall. This <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/Women%27s%20History%20Month%202015" target="_blank">Women's History Month</a>, I've tried to give you ideas for resources. Start your research by reminding yourself of other types of sources that get ignored with our focus on &nbsp;websites and digitized records. There are three books that are musts for your genealogical education. If you haven't read these three books, do it now!<br /><br /><br /><b>Szucs, Loretto D, and Sandra H. Luebking. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/source-a-guidebook-to-american-genealogy/oclc/64084569&amp;referer=brief_results" target="_blank">The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy</a>. Provo, UT: Ancestry, 2006.</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>Meyerink, Kory L. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/printed-sources-a-guide-to-published-genealogical-records/oclc/38206986&amp;referer=brief_results" target="_blank">Printed Sources: A Guide to Published Genealogical Records</a>. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1998.</b><br /><b><br /></b><b>Pfeiffer, Laura S. <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/hidden-sources-family-history-in-unlikely-places/oclc/42780288&amp;referer=brief_results" target="_blank">Hidden Sources: Family History in Unlikely Places</a>. Orem, Utah: Ancestry, 2000.&nbsp;</b><br /><br /><br />These books will assist you in learning more about what sources are out there and what they can tell you. Every genealogist should own these books or have access to them. <i>The Source</i>, is available on the <a href="http://www.ancestry.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page" target="_blank">Ancestry Wiki</a>.<br />Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-90170500198690868582015-03-23T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-23T03:00:08.981-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Home Sources and Auction Websites<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yesterday, I posted about <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/2015/03/womens-history-month-2015-ephemera.html" target="_blank">ephemera</a>. Two places to consider searching for ephemera are home sources and auction websites.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OBhVxVNeCsA/VQ9UXxUxwmI/AAAAAAAADp8/z8kreKxCcaA/s1600/Vernon%2BStreet%2BHouse%2Bin%2BKeene%2BNew%2BHampshire.%2BKeene%2BPublic%2BLibrary%2Band%2Bthe%2BHistorical%2BSociety%2Bof%2BCheshire%2BCounty..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OBhVxVNeCsA/VQ9UXxUxwmI/AAAAAAAADp8/z8kreKxCcaA/s1600/Vernon%2BStreet%2BHouse%2Bin%2BKeene%2BNew%2BHampshire.%2BKeene%2BPublic%2BLibrary%2Band%2Bthe%2BHistorical%2BSociety%2Bof%2BCheshire%2BCounty..jpg" height="301" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Vernon Street House in Keene New Hampshire. Keene Public Library and the Historical Society of Cheshire County. https://flic.kr/p/9Fb67G</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Home Sources</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, I know what you’re thinking. You have no home sources. I know, I get it. I have very little in the realm of home sources myself. What do you do if you&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">weren't</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;the lucky one in the family to inherit the&nbsp;stuff that details your family’s history? Most of the time a home source is defined as what we have in our own home but remember a home source may be located at &nbsp;the home of another family member, both known and temporarily unknown to you. In addition, people not related to you may have had information about your family in their own home sources. These may include photo collections, correspondence, personal business papers and images. This is also why searching manuscript collections is important, finding the collections that came from other members of a community.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In order to find these items it’s important to let people know about your research and try to connect with other family members. This can be done through social network sites, online message boards, writing to a local genealogy society or sending emails to family members.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Auction Sites</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I see auction websites as a repository of home sources because often they include discarded, genealogically relevant ephemera and heirlooms. While everyone has heard of eBay, there are other auction websites including one hosted by the thrift store <a href="http://www.shopgoodwill.com/" target="_blank">Goodwill</a></span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. eBay touts itself as the “world's largest online marketplace,” and rightly so given the auction site has become a place to buy anything from books to real estate, toys to ephemera and more. While many bidders use eBay to find collectibles, eBay can also be used as a genealogical resource. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">People who sell items on eBay acquire them through various means, including yard sales, estate sales, traditional auctions and from their own private collection. Almost anything having to do with a personal family may be offered for sale on eBay. Ephemera found on eBay can include letters, documents, pictures, postcards, war memorabilia, and other personal affects.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To find items pertinent to your family, I would suggest coming up with some specific search terms such as a surname and/or a location and checking on that search term often. You may also consider searching on phrases that describe your ancestor's occupation or religion. I have also found genealogical related items under the search terms “family letters,” “war letters” and “vintage photos or photographs.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another tactic to take in searching on eBay is to search on the category you are interested in. One way to search just ephemera is to go to from the eBay homepage and click on All Categories&gt; Collectibles&gt;Paper&gt;Ephemera. From that search you can then choose a specific time period. Remember that the items are going to appear according to how the seller described it. So it’s important to try a number of categories that would describe what you are looking for. Some other category searches to consider are Postcards, Photographic Images, Historical Memorabilia and Paper, all categories under the heading Collectibles.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-58300409736357958552015-03-22T13:06:00.000-07:002015-03-22T13:07:26.843-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Ephemera<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dRbq2h4ylo/VQ8dx3n_7MI/AAAAAAAADpU/a79SnIDZDfw/s1600/img112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dRbq2h4ylo/VQ8dx3n_7MI/AAAAAAAADpU/a79SnIDZDfw/s1600/img112.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Have you ever considered using ephemera in your search for your female ancestor? One example of using ephemera comes from Michael Popek, a bookseller who reports on the ephemera he finds used as bookmarks in the used books he purchases for his store. He documents these finds, many having genealogical importance, on his blog &nbsp;<i><a href="http://www.forgottenbookmarks.com/" target="_blank">Forgotten Bookmarks</a></i></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">. Forgotten Bookmarks provide an important reminder that our family, and maybe even ourselves, place important, significant items in books as a way to mark our pages. While a fun look at history, ephemera is also an important resource.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All types of genealogically relevant ephemera exists for researching female ancestors. The concept of ephemera may be best understood by genealogists in relation to family history sources like scrapbooks. Scrapbooks, in the 19<sup>th</sup> century and even now, are places to hold the little pieces of paper that document events or a memory. Photos, ticket stubs, playbills, napkins, menus, newspaper clippings, flyers, programs, correspondence, valentines and greeting cards are all possible items encapsulated inside a scrapbook.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlAp79DXCXg/VQ8eMc9me9I/AAAAAAAADps/qXSfC7mf2qY/s1600/Scrapbook_Open1_Med_Res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VlAp79DXCXg/VQ8eMc9me9I/AAAAAAAADps/qXSfC7mf2qY/s1600/Scrapbook_Open1_Med_Res.jpg" height="260" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">I will never forget the aha moment I had about the importance of ephemera in genealogical research many &nbsp;years ago at a presentation given by genealogist Birdie Monk Holsclaw.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In that presentation Birdie talked about wanting to know more about an early 19<sup>th</sup> century car crash that killed the parents of a student attending the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind. Birdie, now deceased, had a long term <a href="http://www.holsclaw.net/CSDBPupils/csdbproj.htm" target="_blank">project</a>&nbsp;studying the early students who attended that school. As she researched, she got the notion that she should see if she could actually find the bill of sale for the car that the family was killed in. What are the chances that a bill of sale from the early 19<sup>th</sup> century would still exist? A record that most likely over time would be trashed because it had no further use beyond being a proof that the car was purchased. Well Birdie found out that the auto dealer who sold the car to that family had sent all of their bills of sale to a local archive for preservation. Birdie found that receipt which helped her learn more about the family’s car. Ephemera can provide genealogical answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Defining Ephemera</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What is ephemera? Simply defined, &nbsp;it is paper material items that were not meant to be archived or for long term use. According to The Ephemera Society of America’s <a href="http://www.ephemerasociety.org/" target="_blank">website</a>, “ephemera includes a broad range of minor (and sometimes major) everyday documents intended for one-time or sort-term use.” They report that 500 categories of ephemera can be found in the <i>Encyclopedia of Ephemera</i>.<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=12077223#_edn1" name="_ednref1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the genealogist, not every type of ephemera will be of use because the nature of the item does not include information that would be value to the reconstruction of an individual’s life. However, some items of ephemera that would be of interest to genealogists include:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Business cards</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Greeting cards</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Invitations</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Letters/Correspondence</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Menus</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Newspapers/newspaper clippings</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Postcards</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Receipts</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Magazines</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Business documents</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Event programs</span></li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Membership cards</span></li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><br /><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Where can you find ephemera? That isn't always so easy considering you want it to be&nbsp;</span><span style="line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">relevant</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">&nbsp;to your&nbsp;ancestor's life, but some places to start include:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Home Sources</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Auction sites</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Manuscript collections</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Vintage paper sales/used book sales</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thrift, antique and used book stores</span></li><li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Online</span></li></ul><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ephemera is an overlooked piece in the overall genealogical research process. Consider broadening your search to include the bits of information that can help move your research beyond solely names and dates.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div><!--[if !supportEndnotes]--><br clear="all" /><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><!--[endif]--> <br /><div id="edn1"><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=12077223#_ednref1" name="_edn1" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: &quot;Calibri&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[i]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></a>What is Ephemera? The Ephemera Society of America &lt; <a href="http://www.ephemerasociety.org/whatisephemera.html">http://www.ephemerasociety.org/whatisephemera.html</a>&gt;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoEndnoteText"><br /></div><br /></div></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-44957993645314196112015-03-21T02:00:00.000-07:002015-03-21T02:00:04.941-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Vital Records<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9AT0RcWK5Gk/VQxIQQBVqdI/AAAAAAAADn8/E9-itmhSJ5E/s1600/death.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9AT0RcWK5Gk/VQxIQQBVqdI/AAAAAAAADn8/E9-itmhSJ5E/s1600/death.JPG" height="246" width="400" /></a></div>Two types of records that we all look for are birth and death records. But often they can be a challenge to find. With the recent announcement of the availability of <a href="http://seekingmichigan.org/discover" target="_blank">Michigan</a> death certificates from 1921-1952 and <a href="http://www.gripitt.org/?p=1734" target="_blank">Pennsylvania </a>birth certificates from 1906-1908 I thought it would be a good time to provide some links for finding the birth and death records of your female ancestors.<br /><br />Here's some of the websites I recommend:<br /><br /><a href="https://familysearch.org/" target="_blank">FamilySearch </a>(Use the <a href="https://familysearch.org/search" target="_blank">Search</a> link to look through digitized records or search the <a href="https://familysearch.org/catalog-search" target="_blank">Catalog</a>)<br /><br />FamilySearch Blog -&nbsp;<a href="https://familysearch.org/blog/en/online-united-states-birth-marriage-death-records/">Online United States Birth, Marriage, and Death Records</a><br /><br /><a href="http://vitalrec.com/">Vitalrec.com</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.deathindexes.com/">Online Searchable Death Indexes and Records</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.germanroots.com/vitalrecords.html" target="_blank">Online Birth &amp; Marriage Records Indexes for the USA</a><br /><br />NARA - <a href="http://www.archives.gov/research/vital-records/" target="_blank">Vital Records</a><br /><br />And of course there are subscription websites like Ancestry.com, FindMyPast, WorldVitalRecords and Archives.Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-16495027522189015282015-03-20T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-20T03:00:06.191-07:00Women's History Month 2015 : Lineage and Heritage Societies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FKtNQ83GODo/VQst1wSr7_I/AAAAAAAADnA/pcghlz7WQiI/s1600/DUP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FKtNQ83GODo/VQst1wSr7_I/AAAAAAAADnA/pcghlz7WQiI/s1600/DUP.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>Heritage and lineage groups are important to family historians for many reasons. Obviously there is the help and resources they have to assist you in researching your ancestors. But there's also the possibility of publications (databases, books, and magazines) that can provide you information, facts, and stories.<br /><br />One of my favorite books published by a lineage society &nbsp;is <i><a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3240" target="_blank">Heart Throbs of the West</a> </i>by Kate Carter and published by the <a href="http://www.dupinternational.org/" target="_blank">Daughters of the Utah Pioneers</a>. This book tells the story of Mormon pioneer women and their legacies. In one story, one of my ancestors talks about migrating to the United States and the circumstances surrounding the death of one of her small children. This interview she gives as an older woman is heart-wrenching and provides me so much more than just her vital record information.<br /><br />If your ancestor was the member of a lineage society or if they did something that would make you eligible, even if you don't join that group, utilize their resources.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-naB34ttWEjg/VQst1wV-wJI/AAAAAAAADnE/jBnBnoaIVxU/s1600/colonial%2Bdames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-naB34ttWEjg/VQst1wV-wJI/AAAAAAAADnE/jBnBnoaIVxU/s1600/colonial%2Bdames.jpg" height="303" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />There are many different types of lineage societies out there. Most of us are familiar with the <a href="http://www.dar.org/" target="_blank">Daughters of the American Revolution</a>, the <a href="https://www.themayflowersociety.org/" target="_blank">Mayflower Society</a> or <a href="http://nscda.org/" target="_blank">Colonial Dames</a>. But there are many more. One list can be found on the Wikipedia page&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hereditary_and_lineage_organizations" target="_blank">List of hereditary and lineage organizations&nbsp;</a>.<br /><br />Seek out those groups and then see what resources they have that can help you tell the story of your female ancestor's life.<br /><br />Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-24639939519740563522015-03-19T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-19T03:00:05.471-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Repatriating Old Photographs<div class="MsoNormal">**Gena's Note: Today's Women's History Month blog post is courtesy of Gary W. Clark from <a href="http://www.phototree.com/" target="_blank">PhotoTree.com</a>. We often focus on finding our own family history, this reminds us of ways we can help others connect with their long-lost female ancestors.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGLlmLDx2jA/VQnji3JFxmI/AAAAAAAADmY/np4UIjajPAU/s1600/Jemima_Pfahler_c1895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGLlmLDx2jA/VQnji3JFxmI/AAAAAAAADmY/np4UIjajPAU/s1600/Jemima_Pfahler_c1895.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Gary W. Clark. Used with permission</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Collections of family photos invariably include unidentified images that can be frustrating to the process of publishing a robust and accurate family history. We are faced with the dilemma of whether the photograph is even a family member.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Another similar challenge involves finding photographs buried along with known family pictures that are identified with a name, but you have no idea who the person is. Perhaps it is a surname you do not recognize. Was this someone important to the family? Maybe it is an <i>in-law</i> or some distant cousin, multiple times removed.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If the name is not &nbsp;familiar to you, it may be worthwhile to conduct a first level search on that name; consult <a href="http://home.ancestry.com/" target="_blank">Ancestry.com</a>, <a href="https://familysearch.org/" target="_blank">FamilySearch</a>, a general <a href="https://www.google.com/" target="_blank">Google</a> search, and a newspaper search if you have access to one of those services. I do this for two reasons. One, I may find out that they are someone important to my family history or two, I may repatriate the photography to someone in that family. What a neat feeling &nbsp;knowing you might have supplied a completely unknown image to a family missing that piece of their personal history puzzle.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently, while sorting through some old pictures for a <a href="http://www.phototree.com/" target="_blank">new book</a> on 20<sup>th</sup> century photographs, I ran across one of my favorite photos from about 1896; I have owned the picture for quite a few years.&nbsp; It was a striking woman about twenty years old, with a name I assumed was hers on the back: <b>Jemima Pfahler</b>. What a great name to search for, at least it is not Johnson or Clark which make up the majority of my ancestors; this would be too easy. Well, it was. Ancestry.com listed over a dozen family trees with her name. So, now what should I do? Whether it was fair or not, I looked at each tree and noted if the owner was recently online, how detail and diligent was their work, and how closely related Jemima was to the tree owner.<o:p></o:p><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLCLOr3vAkg/VQnnK0x01yI/AAAAAAAADmk/kvB5rJc0cM4/s1600/Jemiima_Pfahler_back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WLCLOr3vAkg/VQnnK0x01yI/AAAAAAAADmk/kvB5rJc0cM4/s1600/Jemiima_Pfahler_back.jpg" height="395" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Gary W. Clark.&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Used with permission.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My plan was to contact them, offer a high quality digital copy of the image along with what I knew about it. And, if there was high interest, probably send them the original. This photo was one I actually bought years ago on <a href="http://www.ebay.com/" target="_blank">eBay</a> as part of research on an earlier <a href="http://www.phototree.com/books.htm" target="_blank">book</a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I sent a message through &nbsp;Ancestry.com explaining the offer. A nice reply to my email provided a direct email address and interest in the image. This person had done a lot of research on Jemima and actually had another picture of her, her marriage license, and death certificate posted on their online family tree. So I felt this is someone who would appreciate a copy of this image. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This all contributed to a good feeling about sharing family history information, even if it was not my history. I try this frequently, and it is not always so successful. I've met people who repatriate old photos as a hobby, it can be rewarding and many websites like <a href="http://www.deadfred.com/" target="_blank">DeadFred</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.ancientfaces.com/" target="_blank">Ancient Faces</a>&nbsp;provide a venue to post such pictures.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are lucky, you may find that picture in your collection broadens the history of you family also. That <i>long-lost</i> cousin.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-13999548406242545132015-03-18T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-18T03:00:04.455-07:00Women's History Month 2015: What was her Maiden Name?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Scg60W7pmKQ/VQjD51H_NtI/AAAAAAAADmE/kMNiKJZbfZY/s1600/Swedish%2BNational%2BHeritage%2BBoard.%2BThree%2Bwomen%2C%2BLysekil%2C%2BSweden%2Bvia%2BFlickr%2Bthe%2BCommons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Scg60W7pmKQ/VQjD51H_NtI/AAAAAAAADmE/kMNiKJZbfZY/s1600/Swedish%2BNational%2BHeritage%2BBoard.%2BThree%2Bwomen%2C%2BLysekil%2C%2BSweden%2Bvia%2BFlickr%2Bthe%2BCommons.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Swedish National Heritage Board. Three women, Lysekil, Sweden https://flic.kr/p/5VFoyX</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Probably the most common question researchers ask about tracing female ancestors is "how do I find her maiden name?"<br /><br />It's an important question, since without that piece of information you can't connect her to her parents. She becomes one of the endless women relegated to being referred to as "unknown."<br /><br />So what are some sources that can help reveal her maiden name? Here's a few to think about:<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Marriage Records</li><li>Child’s Birth Records</li><li>Death Records (hers and perhaps her children's)</li><li>Church Records (baptisms, christening, marriage, membership record)</li><li>School Records</li><li>Newspapers (articles about her marriage or the obituary of a sibling or parent)</li><li>Wills</li><li>Probate (for her parents)</li><li>Military Pension Record for husband</li><li>Family Bible</li><li>Manuscript Collection (diaries, journals, correspondence from those in her community)</li><li>Compilations like the <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/295370?availability=Family%20History%20Library" target="_blank">Barbour Collection</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/78864?availability=Family%20History%20Library" target="_blank">Draper Manuscripts</a>, and <a href="https://familysearch.org/search/catalog/234754?availability=Family%20History%20Library" target="_blank">Women in the Western Reserve</a>.</li></ul><o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><br />Where have you found a maiden name?<br /><br />Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-56027134008974704942015-03-17T07:01:00.000-07:002015-03-17T07:01:03.512-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Women's Suffrage<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-barherl9OjI/VQgv23N7NFI/AAAAAAAADlw/LKzI5mVb1OY/s1600/Schlesinger%2BLibrary%2Bon%2Bthe%2BHistory%2Bof%2BWomen%2Bin%2BAmerica.%2BSuffrage%2Bcollection%2C%2B1877-1961..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-barherl9OjI/VQgv23N7NFI/AAAAAAAADlw/LKzI5mVb1OY/s1600/Schlesinger%2BLibrary%2Bon%2Bthe%2BHistory%2Bof%2BWomen%2Bin%2BAmerica.%2BSuffrage%2Bcollection%2C%2B1877-1961..jpg" height="251" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. Suffrage collection, 1877-1961. https://flic.kr/p/gKcx1d</td></tr></tbody></table><br />When did the women in your family first vote? You might automatically reply "1920" since that's when the 19th amendment was passed. But your female ancestors may have voted even earlier than that. A lot earlier.<br /><br />Women gained suffrage on a local and state level at various times prior to 1920. One example is New Jersey where women voted for a limited time between&nbsp;the years 1776-1807. For the most part, women in Western states were granted the right to vote by 1914, starting with Wyoming in 1869. A short timeline of when women could vote by state can be found on the web page&nbsp;<a href="http://womenshistory.about.com/od/suffrageoverview/a/timeline_us.htm" target="_blank">Women's Suffrage Timeline State by State</a>.<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">A history of &nbsp;women's suffrage can be found in the&nbsp;multi-volume&nbsp; work&nbsp;<i>History of Woman Suffrage</i> edited by Susan B. Anthony et al. Volume 4 includes information on suffrage history in each state, as well as Britain and Canada. These volumes are digitized and available at <a href="http://archive.org/details/texts" target="_blank">Internet Archive</a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">So where do you find <b>voting records</b>?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">To find <b>voting records </b>check subscription websites like Ancestry.com, under their <a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/category.aspx?cat=35" target="_blank">Census and Voter Lists</a> category page. FamilySearch&nbsp; has microfilmed voting records. To find them search on your ancestor’s place and then the category “voting registers.” To learn more about <b>voting records</b> for a state, consult the FamilySearch Wiki. Some states have a&nbsp;voting register page such as this example from &nbsp;<a href="https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Illinois_Voting_Registers" target="_blank">Illinois</a>.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Make sure to check the state archive or library where you ancestor resided to find records that document voters. You can find a list of their websites at the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.statearchivists.org/states.htm" target="_blank">Directory of State and Territorial Archives and Records Programs</a>. Once you find the website you need, conduct a search in their online catalog.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Cyndi’s List has locality specific links for <b>voting records</b> on the page <a href="http://www.cyndislist.com/voters/" target="_blank">Voters, Poll Books, Electoral Records</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">At the beginning of Women's History Month I mentioned the special subscription price being offered by <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/2015/03/finding-social-history-at-accessible.html" target="_blank">Accessible Archives</a>. Their website offers resources on women's suffrage including volume 3 of <i><a href="http://www.accessible-archives.com/collections/history-woman-suffrage/" target="_blank">History of Woman Suffrage</a>. </i>They have several blog <a href="http://www.accessible-archives.com/?s=suffrage&amp;Submit.x=0&amp;Submit.y=0&amp;Submit=Go" target="_blank">posts</a> about the issue as well as a &nbsp;look at early suffrage in New Jersey.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-56972022355709144232015-03-16T08:32:00.000-07:002015-03-16T08:32:49.931-07:00Women's History Month 2015: School Days<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJYWF57LIXM/VQb3PctYZ-I/AAAAAAAADlc/203YSAmxpEM/s1600/FeltaSchool1%2Bby%2BCrabTree13%2B-Own%2Bwork.%2BLicensed%2Bunder%2BCC%2BBY-SA%2B3.0%2Bvia%2BWikimedia%2BCommons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJYWF57LIXM/VQb3PctYZ-I/AAAAAAAADlc/203YSAmxpEM/s1600/FeltaSchool1%2Bby%2BCrabTree13%2B-Own%2Bwork.%2BLicensed%2Bunder%2BCC%2BBY-SA%2B3.0%2Bvia%2BWikimedia%2BCommons.jpg" height="307" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"FeltaSchool1" by CrabTree13 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FeltaSchool1.jpg#/media/File:FeltaSchool1.jpg<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />School. Maybe your female ancestor taught at one. Maybe, even for a semester, they attended one. Don't forget about the importance of school records in your genealogy. Records for school come in all forms and can be found in various repositories, local and statewide as well as online. As with everything, start with <a href="https://familysearch.org/" target="_blank">FamilySearch</a> and then try a <a href="http://www.statearchivists.org/states.htm" target="_blank">state archive or library</a>.<br /><br />Here's some resources to check out involving schools.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.one-roomschool.org/schools.html" target="_blank">Michigan One-Room Schoolhouse Association</a><br /><br /><a href="http://permanentrecordproject.blogspot.com/p/about-permanent-record.html" target="_blank">Permanent Record</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/archives/school-records" target="_blank">Colorado State Archives - School Records</a><br /><br /><a href="http://genealogy.about.com/od/school_records/" target="_blank">About.com - School and Alumni Records</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.genealogytoday.com/articles/reader.mv?ID=4013" target="_blank">GenealogyToday- School Records: Researching School Teachers, Part 2 - Record Types</a><br /><br /><br />Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-3158650088199579042015-03-15T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-15T03:00:00.766-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Resources for Women in World War 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbRYX1bPi4E/VQOfHqxX-dI/AAAAAAAADkg/4wDhW7pdWHw/s1600/knit%2Byour%2Bbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FbRYX1bPi4E/VQOfHqxX-dI/AAAAAAAADkg/4wDhW7pdWHw/s1600/knit%2Byour%2Bbit.jpg" height="400" width="270" /></a></div><br /><br />Document your female ancestor's &nbsp;life during World War I. Here's a few digital collections that might be of interest.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li><a href="http://libcdm1.uncg.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/WWIPamp" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;" target="_blank">World War I Pamphlets &nbsp; </a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></li><li><a href="http://gdc.gale.com/archivesunbound/archives-unbound-women-war-and-society-1914-1918/" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Women, War and Society, 1914-1918 </a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">&nbsp; (Institutional subscription) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></li><li><a href="http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/isu" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;" target="_blank">A University Goes to War, World War I Women &nbsp; </a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></li><li><a href="http://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/womens-history.html" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;" target="_blank">National Archives – Archives Library Information Center – Women &nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="http://wwionline.org/articles/women-peace-activists-during-world-war-i/" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Home Before the Leaves Fall - Women Peace Activists During World War I &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></li><li><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/women-in-world-war-i/" style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;" target="_blank">Women in World War I </a><span style="font-family: 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif;">(Gena’s Pinterest Board) &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</span></li></ul>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-1473299468037087812015-03-14T08:50:00.002-07:002015-03-14T08:54:37.000-07:00Women's History Month 2015: "Women" as a KeywordFor International Women's Day I <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/2015/03/womens-history-month-2015-international.html#.VQRS2vx4pcQ" target="_blank">posted</a> a tip to use the keyword search on the FamilySearch Catalog to find resources that were about women. Today, I wanted to point out that by browsing or searching for the keyword "women" on other subscription websites you will find &nbsp;rich resources that would have been missed otherwise during your search.<br /><br />Go to Ancestry.com. Then click on <b>Search</b> at the top and then <b>Card Catalog</b>. Now type in the <b>keyword</b> Women.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GR_ABtFnGTA/VQRZqpVpOTI/AAAAAAAADlI/hy4NUJ_bMMU/s1600/Ancestry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GR_ABtFnGTA/VQRZqpVpOTI/AAAAAAAADlI/hy4NUJ_bMMU/s1600/Ancestry.jpg" height="476" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Some results are not obviously "women-centered" but as you scroll down the various hits, wonderful resources for research become obvious. Consider searching such great finds as:<br /><br /><a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=18456" target="_blank">The records of the American War Mothers</a> (Detroit, Michigan)<br /><br /><a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3243" target="_blank">Daughters of Utah Pioneers and Their Mothers</a><br /><br /><a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=21335" target="_blank">Women of Cleveland and their work</a><br /><br /><a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=21823" target="_blank">The social mirror : a character sketch of the women of Pittsburg and vicinity during the first century of the county's existence</a><br /><br /><a href="http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=26990" target="_blank">Women and the trades : Pittsburgh, 1907-1908</a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ud6rXibIeWU/VQRXjuRcO4I/AAAAAAAADk0/0AvdMXD-M4E/s1600/FindMyPast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ud6rXibIeWU/VQRXjuRcO4I/AAAAAAAADk0/0AvdMXD-M4E/s1600/FindMyPast.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />FindMyPast announced for International Women's Day that they have added some databases to trace female ancestors including:&nbsp;<a href="http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/british-womens-royal-air-force-service-records-1918-1920" target="_blank">British Women's Royal Air Force Service Records 1918-1920</a> and&nbsp;<a href="http://search.findmypast.com/search-world-Records/british-womens-royal-naval-service-officer-files-1917-1919" target="_blank">British Women's Royal Naval Service Officer Files 1917-1919</a>. You can read more about this announcement on their <a href="http://blog.findmypast.com/2015/international-womens-day-tracing-women-around-the-world/" target="_blank">blog</a>.<br /><br />So what's the big take-away from this? <b>Don't limit your searches to a name</b>. Explore the website you search for collections that deal with places, events, and organizations.<br /><br />Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-90331512959573195562015-03-13T08:16:00.000-07:002015-03-13T08:16:23.388-07:00Women's History Month 2015: On the Bookshelf- The Business of CharityA few years ago I had the honor of presenting my research on a signature quilt that I own at the <a href="http://www.americanquiltstudygroup.org/" target="_blank">American Quilt Study Group</a> Seminar. The background of that early 20th century quilt is fascinating and my talk combined genealogy, women's history, and quilts. While at the Seminar I met so many interesting people and of course we talked research. One of those attendees was Kathleen Waters Sander.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XCbpY7KSi9s/VQL7axREYBI/AAAAAAAADjs/diHN1MM55qM/s1600/business%2Bof%2Bcharity.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XCbpY7KSi9s/VQL7axREYBI/AAAAAAAADjs/diHN1MM55qM/s1600/business%2Bof%2Bcharity.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div><br />Kathleen's book, <i><a href="http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/73rsr2ht9780252024016.html" target="_blank">The Business of Charity: The Woman's Exchange Movement 1832-1900</a> </i>details a group I had, at the time, never heard of. The Woman's Exchange Movement is one of the "nation's oldest continuously operating voluntary movements." The first Woman's Exchange opened in Philadelphia in 1832 and provided economic independence for women.&nbsp;Kathleen writes, "The history of the exchange movement is meant to be such a story of how everyday women were motivated to take action against economic and cultural conditions that thwarted them." (p. 5). This movement provided help to women who had fallen on hard times by allowing them to consign &nbsp;home-made items &nbsp;to the stores. But they also provided opportunity to the women &nbsp;who worked in the stores as well as those that ran the enterprises. According to the author's introduction "Many of the seventy-two or more Exchanges found in the nineteenth century are still flourishing, including those in <a href="http://womansindustrialexchange.org/" target="_blank">Baltimore</a>, Boston, <a href="http://www.penapeckhouse.com/" target="_blank">St. Augustine</a>, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/23/nyregion/a-genteel-nostalgia-going-out-of-business.html" target="_blank">New York City</a>, <a href="http://specialcollections.tulane.edu/archon/?p=creators/creator&amp;id=151" target="_blank">New Orleans</a>, Philadelphia, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/The.Womans.Exchange" target="_blank">St. Louis</a>, West Hartford, and <a href="http://brooklyn-womens-exchange.org/" target="_blank">Brooklyn</a>." (p.3). &nbsp;You can see a list of Woman's Exchanges that are still in business today by consulting the blog, <a href="http://wefed.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Federation of Woman's Exchanges</a>.<br /><br />The beauty of the Internet is the ability to find sources from the 19th century that one can read and study. One of the articles I found via JSTOR about the New York Woman's Exchange provides some additional information about the first year of that enterprise. "During the year the receipts have been $15,240.72 and $10,252 has been paid to consignees....Of the 17,566 articles registered for sale, only thirty-seven have been rejected. A commission of ten per cent is charged on all articles sold." Income came from sales but also from subscribers who paid five dollars to join the society.*<br /><br />I love this book for a number of reasons. It dispels the notion that 19th century women didn't "work." It shows us the creative solutions women came up with in their benevolent work that helped other women. It's also a great study of economic history that can inform our own research into the lives of our female ancestors.<br /><br />I strongly believe that researching female ancestors involves looking at the organizations they belonged to. This book is an example of one such organization.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">*New York Exchange for Women's Work by Ellen E. Dickinson. <i>The Art Amateur</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vol. 1, No. 2 (Jul., 1879), p. 35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25626812</span>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-48472616005181464682015-03-12T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-12T03:00:07.038-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Pinterest Resources<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> is a great place to find genealogy resources. I love to search for information ranging from repositories to books and images. Look for the names of other genealogists as well as libraries and archives to follow on Pinterest.<br /><br />I have numerous boards for researching female ancestors that provide links to sources and places.<br /><br /><br /><a data-pin-board-width="400" data-pin-do="embedUser" data-pin-scale-height="200" data-pin-scale-width="80" href="https://www.pinterest.com/genaortega/">Visit Gena's profile on Pinterest.</a><!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --><script async="" src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-89291963981043550002015-03-11T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-11T03:00:01.273-07:00Women's History Month 2015: American Memory<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urPXPFiEEaU/VP9qBOkXiJI/AAAAAAAADjM/y9IS2M6yTMU/s1600/American%2BMemory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-urPXPFiEEaU/VP9qBOkXiJI/AAAAAAAADjM/y9IS2M6yTMU/s1600/American%2BMemory.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></div>I love hearing other presenters provide information &nbsp;about websites. Often they approach problems a different way or have explored the website and found collections that are new to me. <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html" target="_blank">American Memory</a> from the Library of Congress is a great example.<div><br /></div><div>One day while a local genealogist gave a talk about American Memory, a presentation I also give, she mentioned a resource she knew I would want to see. I had never looked at that collection because I mistakenly didn't think it would be of interest.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So first, let me explain that <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/about/index.html" target="_blank">American Memory</a> "...provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. "</div><div><br /></div><div><i><a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/coolhtml/coolhome.html" target="_blank">Prosperity and Thrift: The Coolidge Era and the Consumer Economy, 1921-1929</a></i> sounds like the last thing in the world I would want to look at. Probably about now you're wondering "what does this have to do with Women's History Month?"</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OxM8fa7ZRao/VP9qBDV9edI/AAAAAAAADjI/19n0wCgpcHU/s1600/Coolidge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OxM8fa7ZRao/VP9qBDV9edI/AAAAAAAADjI/19n0wCgpcHU/s1600/Coolidge.jpg" height="175" width="400" /></a></div><div>Everything!</div><div><br /></div><div>So this collection is partially described as:&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><i>...a wide array of Library of Congress source materials from the 1920s that document the widespread prosperity of the Coolidge years, the nation's transition to a mass consumer economy, and the role of government in this transition. The collection includes nearly 150 selections from twelve collections of personal papers and two collections of institutional papers from the Manuscript Division; 74 books, pamphlets, and legislative documents from the General Collections, along with selections from 34 consumer and trade journals; 185 photographs from the Prints and Photographs Division and the Manuscript Division; and 5 short films and 7 audio selections of Coolidge speeches from the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Ok, so what?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well if we just do a subject search on the keyword <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/coolhtml/coolbibSubjects06.html" target="_blank">Women</a> we receive hits like "<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?coolbib:1:./temp/~ammem_NoNl::" target="_blank">Leisure-time activities of a selected group of farm women</a>.." a look at the leisure activities of 1,066 farm women. Reading this dissertation can provide us with ideas for other documents out there documenting our farm women ancestors.&nbsp;<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--MadOv0kRcs/VP9qA987BmI/AAAAAAAADjE/Go9yIIh7WwM/s1600/American%2BMemory%2Bexample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--MadOv0kRcs/VP9qA987BmI/AAAAAAAADjE/Go9yIIh7WwM/s1600/American%2BMemory%2Bexample.jpg" height="346" width="400" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>One of my favorites pamphlets in this collection is "<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/cool:@field(NUMBER+@band(lg06))::bibLink=D?coolbib%3A4%3A./temp/~ammem_bdxC%3A%3A" target="_blank">The buying habits of small-town women</a>" a survey done by an advertising firm in 1926. The Calvin Coolidge collection has photos, digitized documents, and more that paint a great social history picture of our ancestors during the 1920s.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even if that doesn't impress you, American Memory has all kinds of digitized collections including former&nbsp;<a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/" target="_blank">slave narratives</a> and <a href="http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/" target="_blank">first person narratives</a>. There's also collections for <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?category=Women%27s%20History" target="_blank">Women's History</a>. At the very least check out <a href="http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/" target="_blank">Chronicling America</a>, their digitized newspaper collection.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Take a second look at that familiar website you use. You never know what might be hidden, ready for you to explore.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-59967999120359203832015-03-10T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-10T03:00:03.150-07:00Women's History Month 2015: Newspapers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFYePjcZs0k/VPyd4lYbhjI/AAAAAAAADio/JlWKDKK1t_c/s1600/List%2Bof%2BLetters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tFYePjcZs0k/VPyd4lYbhjI/AAAAAAAADio/JlWKDKK1t_c/s1600/List%2Bof%2BLetters.jpg" height="400" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">List of Letters- Ladies' List.&nbsp;<i>The Times-Picayune</i> (New Orleans, Louisiana) 22 April 1854. Page 4. Newspapers.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Newspapers are a fabulous source for finding articles and images. They report on the everyday and extraordinary moments in lives. Women can be found in all types of article including those that report vital record events, milestones, and achievements. Take some time to explore newspapers for your ancestress.<br /><br />Some ideas about what types of article can be found below. These links are for articles I have written for the <a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/" target="_blank">GenealogyBank blog</a> and provide some nice examples of what newspapers can hold for researchers.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/love-marriage-newspaper-engagement-wedding-announcements.html" target="_blank">Love &amp; Marriage: Newspaper Engagement &amp; Wedding Announcements</a><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/help-wanted-female-classified-ads-working-women-ancestors.html" target="_blank">Help Wanted-Female Classified Ads: Working Women Ancestors</a><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/tracing-female-ancestors-the-mother-of-all-genealogy-research.html" target="_blank">Tracing Female Ancestors: The Mother of All Genealogy Research</a><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/finding-ancestors-names-can-be-childs-play-paper-doll-comics.html" target="_blank">Finding Ancestors’ Names Can Be Child’s Play: Paper Doll Comics</a><br /><br /><a href="http://blog.genealogybank.com/newspaper-recipe-contests-was-your-ancestor-a-contest-winner.html" target="_blank">Newspaper Recipe Contests: Was Your Ancestor a Contest Winner?</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Need to find what websites have newspapers?&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theancestorhunt.com/newspapers.html" target="_blank">The Ancestor Hunt</a> and <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/onlinenewspapersite/" target="_blank">Online Historical Newspapers </a>are two places to start your search.Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-66857903729614680102015-03-09T03:00:00.000-07:002015-03-09T03:00:00.690-07:00Women's History Month 2015: A Few More Words About DirectoriesLast week, I wrote about one of my favorite sources, <a href="http://philibertfamily.blogspot.com/2015/03/womens-history-month-2015-city.html" target="_blank">city directories</a>. City directories aren't the only type of directory you should be searching for. There are so many more kinds of directories available but they can be more difficult to find.<br /><br />Directories are published for membership organizations, churches, occupations and more. Directories have at the very least contact details, names and addresses. But they also provide information about affiliations, family information, and various roles held in the organization and maybe even the community.<br /><br />It would be impossible for me to list every kind of directory but here are a few examples.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-605ZzQERYwQ/VPyNypytqbI/AAAAAAAADhg/jbsDJrcd0Ag/s1600/img905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-605ZzQERYwQ/VPyNypytqbI/AAAAAAAADhg/jbsDJrcd0Ag/s1600/img905.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84_NAnrpLfA/VPyNy8F-FqI/AAAAAAAADhk/qhFSrGL7kG4/s1600/img906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-84_NAnrpLfA/VPyNy8F-FqI/AAAAAAAADhk/qhFSrGL7kG4/s1600/img906.jpg" height="400" width="327" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</span></td></tr></tbody></table>What organizations did your ancestor belong to? Good chance that group &nbsp;put together some sort of directory. I have several of the directories for the LA County California Federation of Women's Clubs and they have great information including details about meetings. A researcher could use these directories to learn more about their ancestor's life.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i8GpjSsjV7Y/VPyPc7qyatI/AAAAAAAADiM/gLBS9AjtOfA/s1600/LA%2BSocial%2BRegister.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i8GpjSsjV7Y/VPyPc7qyatI/AAAAAAAADiM/gLBS9AjtOfA/s1600/LA%2BSocial%2BRegister.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMXCrm3hsWI/VPyPZLSILjI/AAAAAAAADh0/u1b5vFKaz-4/s1600/LA%2BBlue%2BBook%2Bexample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMXCrm3hsWI/VPyPZLSILjI/AAAAAAAADh0/u1b5vFKaz-4/s1600/LA%2BBlue%2BBook%2Bexample.jpg" height="328" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Gena Philibert-Ortega</td></tr></tbody></table>Social registers are similar to city directories and list more than just contact details. This social register and many more are located at the library of the <a href="http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/about/contact.html" target="_blank">Southern California Genealogical Society</a>.<br /><br />One more example is <i>Who's Who</i>. Various types of <i>Who's Who</i> books exist and they are yet another "names list" that can be helpful to your genealogy. In the case of Marquis' <i>Who's Who</i> books, they even offer an institutional subscription to their <a href="http://www.marquiswhoswho.com/online-database" target="_blank">database</a> of biographies starting from 1899.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxyuoQzY7BE/VPyPZdpuFsI/AAAAAAAADh4/xPvE8R0Qe60/s1600/Who's%2BWho%2BCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vxyuoQzY7BE/VPyPZdpuFsI/AAAAAAAADh4/xPvE8R0Qe60/s1600/Who's%2BWho%2BCover.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cKOD2WYRYWM/VPyPZsOaj8I/AAAAAAAADh8/CMJzRqN9fes/s1600/Who's%2BWho%2Bentry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cKOD2WYRYWM/VPyPZsOaj8I/AAAAAAAADh8/CMJzRqN9fes/s1600/Who's%2BWho%2Bentry.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">From the collection of Gena Philibert-Ortega</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />So where do you look for these types of directories? Always check out digitized book websites like <a href="http://books.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Books</a> and <a href="https://archive.org/index.php" target="_blank">Internet Archive</a>. Don't forget to check online digital collections like the <a href="http://dp.la/" target="_blank">Digital Public Library of America</a>. Then look to the library where your ancestor lived. Don't forget about genealogy libraries and society libraries. In some cases subscription websites can also have these books in their directory or digitized book collections.Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-23417397826488947092015-03-08T09:55:00.002-07:002015-03-08T09:55:51.345-07:00Women's History Month 2015 : International Women's DayToday is <a href="http://www.internationalwomensday.com/" target="_blank">International Women's Day</a>. It's hard to come up with something that encompasses researching female ancestors from all over the world. Obviously, it's hard for one source to do all of that. So it seemed like a good idea to remember to always start your research with the FamilySearch <a href="https://familysearch.org/catalog-search" target="_blank">Catalog</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1CmYCR1R7pU/VPx-Ce5zSOI/AAAAAAAADhE/tvkmEo244kQ/s1600/FamilySearch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1CmYCR1R7pU/VPx-Ce5zSOI/AAAAAAAADhE/tvkmEo244kQ/s1600/FamilySearch.jpg" height="203" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />To find the catalog go to <a href="https://familysearch.org/" target="_blank">FamilySearch</a> then select &nbsp;Search&gt;Catalog. Then conduct multiple searches including a keyword search. In this search on the keyword "women" I found over 4,000 resources.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p7m8b7INlj0/VPx-HTUH8qI/AAAAAAAADhM/0ahM8NUq3nM/s1600/FamilySearch%2Bcatalog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p7m8b7INlj0/VPx-HTUH8qI/AAAAAAAADhM/0ahM8NUq3nM/s1600/FamilySearch%2Bcatalog.jpg" height="446" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />There are some great resources here including:<br /><br /><br /><ul><li><i>Women distinguished in the work of social reform = A companion for Japanese women</i></li><li><i>Register of married women's separate property, 1859-1903</i></li><li><i>Brave days : pioneer women of New Zealand</i></li><li><i>We, the undersigned : a historical overview of New Brunswick women's political and legal status, 1784-1984</i></li><li><i>Irish women in colonial Australia</i></li><li><i>Native American women : a biographical dictionary</i></li></ul><div>Take some time to peruse the FamilySearch Catalog and the great resources within.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12077223.post-51635973045828355182015-03-07T03:00:00.000-08:002015-03-07T03:00:00.399-08:00Women's History Month 2015: Women, Enterprise & SocietyThere are manuscript collections that I read about that I wish I could take a 6 month break and just go read and soak in the information.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnZiybQiZvQ/VPoVMKBk5RI/AAAAAAAADgw/uEi3WTFVOIg/s1600/Women%2BEnterprise%2Band%2BSociety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AnZiybQiZvQ/VPoVMKBk5RI/AAAAAAAADgw/uEi3WTFVOIg/s1600/Women%2BEnterprise%2Band%2BSociety.jpg" height="341" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/wes/" target="_blank">Women, Enterprise &amp; Society</a> from Harvard Business School is one of those collections. According to the website "This Web-based publication identifies materials in the Business Manuscripts Collection at Baker Library that document women's participation in American business and culture from the eighteenth through the twentieth century." But you get a sense of the richness of this resource and how it can help a family historian by reading the descriptions of some of the <a href="http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/wes/indexes/alpha/" target="_blank">collections</a>.<br /><br />Consider these:<br /><br />Afro-American Agricultural Laborers Collection<br />Mss 1 1797-1799 N892<br />Includes payments to women for spinning yarn.<br /><br />Allen-Lane Company Collection<br />Mss 761 1853-1941<br />Includes payrolls of nineteenth- and twentieth-century New England textile mills, as well as stockholder records, family records, and information on knitting outwork.<br /><br />Boston Manufacturing Company Collection<br />Mss 442 1813-1930<br />Payrolls of a nineteenth-century Waltham, Massachusetts, textile manufacturer include employee records for women workers.<br /><br />Isaac G. Pierson and Brothers Collection<br />Mss 501 1795-1865<br />Records of nineteenth-century nail and cotton factories include employee records for women workers and company store records.<br /><br />Roxbury Carpet Company Collection<br />Mss 461 1837-1923<br />Labor records of nineteenth-century Massachusetts carpet and textile factory that employed mostly women workers.<br /><br /><br />There's much more to this collection and website. I recommend you read more about the project via the <a href="http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/wes/intro/" target="_blank">Introduction</a> page. The website has a great <a href="http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/wes/bibliography/" target="_blank">bibliography </a>you'll also want to check out.Gena Philibert-Ortegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12853485188995075397noreply@blogger.com0